A show-stopping pud celebrating one of nature’s best gifts in spring – rhubarb.
Use the leftover egg yolks to make mayonnaise.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 5 Earl Grey teabags
- 320ml whipping cream
- 120ml sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 500g rhubarb, cut into 2cm-long pieces
- 300g caster sugar (100g to poach the rhubarb, and 200g for the meringue)
- 1 orange, juiced
- 100ml water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp orange liqueur
- 4 eggs, whites only
- 2 tbsp jumbo oats
- 1 pinch salt
Method
- Begin by making the ice cream, as it takes some time to prepare. Place the whipping cream and tea bags in a saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer, heat for 10 mins then set aside to cool. Remove the tea bags and place the tea-infused cream in the fridge for at least six hours (and preferably overnight) to chill.
- When chilled, remove the cream from the fridge, and whip to soft peaks. In a separate bowl mix the condensed milk and vanilla extract, followed by ¼ of the whipped cream. Then gently fold in the rest of the cream until combined. Transfer into a container and freeze for at least six hours (and preferably overnight).
- Place the chopped rhubarb, 100g of the caster sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan, topping up with the water until the rhubarb is just covered. Bring to a gentle boil, simmer for 5 mins, then set aside.
- When cooled, remove the rhubarb from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and reheat the remaining liquid, boiling until it has reduced and thickened into a syrup. Set aside to cool.
- To make the meringues, heat the oven to 140C, spread 200g of sugar on a baking tray, and heat in the oven for 30 mins. Start to whisk the eggs whites, slowly adding the warmed sugar, and continuing to whisk until hard peaks are formed. Line a baking sheet, spoon on fist-sized portions of the egg mixture – making a small well in the top of each with a spoon – and bake in the oven for 35 mins (or until crisp on the outside, but not coloured).
- Heat a small frying pan and toast the oats with a pinch of salt for a couple of mins, then set aside to cool.
- To assemble, gently warm the syrup, and add the orange liquor. Place the merengues on a serving dish, spoon some of the poached rhubarb into the well of each, and top with a quenelle of ice cream. Drizzle some of the warmed syrup over the ice cream, and finally sprinkle the toasted oats over the top.